Source/seed delivery surgical staple device for delivering local source/seed direclty to a staple margin

Abstract

A source delivery surgical staple device delivers a source / seed to a staple margin. The surgical staple delivery device includes a main staple body segment hingedly attached to a second body segment. Each of the segments is appointed for engagement to dispense the sources / seeds and / or a surgical staple to the staple margin. The device also includes a cartridge removably attached and snapped onto the main staple body segment. The cartridge has at least one staple line appointed for housing surgical staples, and being operative to form at least one staple line of surgical staples, and at least one cut line. The cartridge also has at least one source / seed / brachy staple line forming a brachy or radioactive seeds and / or chemotherapy agent dosage source. The radioactive seeds have a radioactive and / or chemotherapy source supported by leg portions that are manipulated during insert for fastening the radioactive staples to tissue at an incision margin. With this arrangement, a hybrid of chemotherapy agent and radiation is delivered directly into the staple lines and different dosage brachy loads can be loaded in the cartridge.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a source delivery surgical staple device for delivery of a source / seed directly to a surgical staple margin; and more particularly, to a source / seed delivery surgical staple device that provides for the direct delivery of sources or seeds containing radiation, and / or other tumor fighting means such as chemotherapy, in conjunction with surgical staples, whereby direct delivery of the seeds during surgery to the staple margin applies brachytherapy (local radiation source) to the staple margin in a controlled consistent manner.[0003]2. Description of the Prior Art[0004]Radiotherapy (radiation oncology, or XRT) is the medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells. Radiotherapy may be used for curative, adjuvant or palliative treatment. Total body irradiation (TBI) is a radiotherapy technique used to prepare the body to receive a bone marrow transpla...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The present invention provides a source delivery stapler that delivers source staples (radiation; chemotherapy) and regular surgical staples to the surgical margin in a single step operation that allows the implantation of the radiation during the surgical re-sectioning procedure. Particularly, the therapeutic staple delivery device allows for precise delivery of radiation therapy / sources to the surgical margin, thereby providing the ability to reduce surgical procedures and the ability for immediate radiation therapy to begin.

Problems solved by technology

The use of radiotherapy in non-malignant conditions is limited partly by worries about the risk of radiation-induced cancers.

Despite the advantages concerning the operation procedure, wedge resections have not been considered an acceptable oncological resection method for cancer in patients who are fit physiologically to undergo lobectomies.

What makes a wedge resection undesirable in cancer patients is the rate of recurrence of cancer at the staple line or resection line.

However, despite the finding of positive results tending to the brachy therapy mesh+wedge resection treatment combinations, the procedure poses disadvantageous using the mesh.

First, it's very operator dependent.

Second, reproducibility is tedious, especially in video assisted cases.

Unfortunately, the armed staple and delivery system therein involving the sidecar on the commercial surgical staple results in a one-to-one relationship between the “sources” / radioactive staples and the number of surgical staples required for a given operation.

Disadvantages attending to heretofore disclosed methods and systems for delivery of brachy seeds include 1) difficulty in precise placement of the brachytherapy seeds / sources relative to the surgical margin, 2) separate surgical procedures for implantation of the brachytherapy weeks after surgery, and 3) exposure of radiation dose during implantation.

As a result, the patient is not immediately treated with the radiation and therefore risk of recurrence of the tumor increases.

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